This is why I greatly appreciate as much transparency as possible on labels and a distiller’s website. That’s where I’m willing to put my money. Though I enjoy a good tale well spun, my interest in whiskey is for the unvarnished truth-the purity of flavor and sensation. Even if this is only psychosomatic, it’s effectively as real as any other noticeable flavor. But over time I have picked up on a certain synthetic note underlying whiskeys that utilize artificial coloring. ( Here and here, for example.) For myself, having tasted many uncolored, unfiltered, cask strength scotches from bottlers like Signatory and Douglas Laing, I do believe I can taste a difference when coloring is added.

Whether or not added color impacts flavor is an ongoing debate. But then I’ve never been much of a capitalist, so, if marketing think tanks and focus groups have found most consumers prefer consistent artificial coloring to varied natural colors, okay. I pass on most mainstream scotches, for example, because they almost inevitably have added color.Īt this point in whiskey history I don’t know why distillers continue the practice, since unadulterated whiskeys constantly demonstrate a beautiful spectrum of appealing colors. For me, added color is a marketing detail that goes against the natural grain of whiskey, and I tend not to buy any that use it.

It is believed a consistent color from batch to batch is more appealing to consumers. Like stories on labels, adding color to a whiskey is also marketing. In some countries, adding caramel coloring is allowed. There is an inherent honesty to whiskey, in that it is so elemental-water, earth, wood, grains, yeast, and time.

But occasionally they leave an off taste that impacts the experience of the whiskey itself. These small tales are generally harmless. Those on the label are marketing, sometimes true and sometimes based on a grain of truth not significant enough to figure into the mash bill. Aged in both American and European oak barrels, flavours of poached pear are drizzled with butterscotch and vanilla cream, with lemon zest and a smattering of pencil shavings.Whiskey is known for its stories, both those pouring out of drinkers and those on the label. Alc 40%Īn easy-drinking malt from the Speyside region of Scotland, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is one of the biggest-selling malt whiskies in the world. There’s plenty of American oak influence on this dram, leading to flavours of vanilla, crème brûlée, Werther’s Originals, marmalade and apricot, with a smattering of white pepper. Alc 45%Ī blended Scotch malt whisky, Monkey Shoulder’s name comes from the physical impact that manually turning the malted barley would have on malt men’s arms, occasionally causing it to hang down like a monkey’s. A serious whiskey, there’s no mistaking the rye influence, with its bread, bitter chocolate, spicy pepper, ginger and anise mixing with orange peel and vanilla. Alc 50%īearing the same name as the classic cocktail that hails from New Orleans, Sazerac Rye is made at the Buffalo Trace distillery. The rye and vanilla continue onto the palate, and are joined by citrus peels, salted caramel, pepper and pine. Made in small batches at the Jim Beam distillery, the nose boasts rye bread, vanilla, charcoal and maple syrup. With an abv of 50%, this rye packs plenty of flavour to stand up to any ingredients thrown at it in a cocktail.

March releases on the Place de Bordeaux 2023.

September fine wine releases on La Place de Bordeaux 2023.

World best whiskey 2020